Sandy was running out of time. It was Sunday already and he still had no idea what he could do for Ryan by tomorrow.
He heard Kirsten opening the front door, back from her fitness class. She came into his office and gave him a hug.
"Hi honey." He said and gave her a kiss.
"How's the boy?" Kirsten asked.
"Ryan's a bit better I think." Sandy replied "He made it through half an hour with Seth so he's got some stamina!" He joked.
Kirsten smiled but it faltered. "You don't think he could have a bad effect on Seth do you?"
Sandy was baffled. "What do you mean?"
"Well… where he's come from, and what he's used to. He might tell Seth things we don't want him hearing or influence him with how things are where he lives…" she trailed off.
Sandy was frowning "Kirsten I think that's the last thing we should be worrying about. Ryan's the one who has been hurt and mistreated. He's the one we need to worry about. Seth could learn anything he wanted from TV and the internet, and I highly doubt Ryan would talk about anything at all to do with his life at this stage."
Kirsten said nothing but let the subject go. "What do you think social services will decide to do about him?"
Sandy's frown remained. "I don't know." He sighed "I'm really worried about him. I'm worried he will be swallowed up by the system and end up back where he started, and that's a very dangerous place."
Kirsten was now frowning too. She felt bad for the boy but she knew Sandy was getting too emotionally involved. There were thousands of kids like this and they couldn't all be helped like Sandy wanted to help them. She feared he would try to do something drastic that could upset their household and the way they lived.
"Sandy the authorities know what is the best thing to do in these circumstances. They deal with this all the time and there are rules and protocol to follow." She reasoned.
"Yes but honey you don't see what that 'protocol' does to some kids. You don't see the results of terrible decisions. The system is overloaded and underfunded. Things often don't work out for the best." He poured the words out. "If we could just intercept the system for Ryan, if we could give him that better chance at this stage of his life, we could change the course he's on, give him the chances he deserves in life. If he could maybe stay here for a while…"
It was as Kirsten feared "Sandy," she interrupted him "you are not keeping this boy as some kind of project. This is not a halfway house or a rehab centre for troubled kids. This is our home, our family home where we can be safe and comfortable and relaxed and I won't let you spoil that because of your idealistic desire to save every kid who comes from a rough background. Do what you want outside of this house, but this is my house too and I will not allow strangers to use it as a refuge centre."
Sandy was cut down. She was right. It was her house too and he couldn't do anything without her consent. It left him deflated and disheartened. If there was any way around Ryan's situation, a small part of him had thought it might have been here, in this house. Apparently it was not meant to be, his wife left no room for argument.
He nodded and left the room disappointed.
Kirsten saw the stricken look on Sandy's face but remained steadfast. Better to rule out any crazy possibilities before he gets too attached to them she thought.
She followed him out and found Seth in the kitchen snooping for food.
"Hey Mom! Did you know we have a fugitive in the pool house? He's a cool guy mind you, very mysterious. Strong silent type you know?" Seth mused.
"Seth he's not a fugitive." Kirsten rolled her eyes.
"You don't know that, I mean how much do we really know about him, he could be an escaped convict from supermax and Dad's bought into his fake story but really he's just waiting for his chance to strike." Seth theorized dramatically.
Kirsten was picturing Seth's ridiculous but alarming visual in her head.
"Earth to Mom… it's a joke. He really is a cool guy." Seth said, walking off with a packet of chips.
Since their initial meeting had felt uncomfortable and Ryan didn't seem to like her, Kirsten decided she would keep her distance. She didn't really blame the boy, she didn't know how to act around someone like him and she wasn't as naturally warm and open as Sandy. She'd keep her distance and make it easier for both of them until he left tomorrow.
Ryan woke up around midday to a sandwich on the bedside table. It disturbed him that someone had been in the room right next to the bed and he hadn't woken. He was usually such a light sleeper. There were a couple more paracetamol. Bring on the good pain pills tonight he thought. Stuff like food being brought for him hadn't stopped freaking him out - who would care that much to go to the effort he thought. He was glad his head felt a little clearer, it meant he could think better about how he was going to get out of here. It had to be tonight. Sandy would take him to social services tomorrow and then it'd be harder to make a break for it. He figured after they went to bed was the best option. Just sneak round the house and down the street, hitch a ride back to Chino and he'd find someone to crash with, he'd figure it out when he got there, he had to get out of here first.
He hoped they kept their distance until then, he didn't need any complications.
A complication is exactly what Sandy would be.
He didn't have many options to help Ryan but he knew the worst outcome would be if he was sent back to his Mom and her boyfriend. He knew that if he could get Ryan to tell social services about the abuse and danger at his house in Chino, he would have a much stronger case for not being sent back there. He may be sent to a group home but at this stage Sandy was sure anything was better than going back where he was. Not all the group homes were terrible anyway, not many were great either but, you never know, he could get lucky…
But how to get Ryan to admit to the department about anything that had happened? Maybe if Sandy could get him to open up to him, then Sandy could relate the situation and all Ryan would have to do was confirm that it was true. That would be enough. Not enough, not what he would like to do for the kid, but it would be better than nothing.
Yes, that's all I can try to do, thought Sandy as he made his way out to the pool house, steeling himself for his mission.
Sandy wondered if Ryan would ever lose that rabbit in the headlights look whenever someone approached. He was glad to see Ryan had at least eaten half of the sandwich he'd brought him. Much better than yesterday.
Deep breath, Sandy told himself.
He sat in a seat by the door. Ryan was sitting up in the bed. He was still frightfully pale but at least sitting up didn't seem like the struggle it had been the last couple days.
"Ryan I was thinking about your situation and I want to be honest with you. I won't lie to you, you deserve that."
Ryan had his well-practised impassive face firmly in place.
"When we go to social services tomorrow they are going to have to decide where you should go. Now from the little I've learnt I believe that your Mom's house is probably not the safest place."
Ryan wouldn't argue that point, not that he'd say anything, but he whole-fucking-heartedly agreed that it wasn't the safest with that dick AJ there.
"I think, given the circumstances that the best option would be for you to spend a bit of time in a boys home. Give you some breathing space from everything going on at home, until things settle down and can be reassessed." Sandy waited for any kind of response from Ryan but he knew he could be waiting a long time.
"Now Ryan," he continued "in order for social services to go with that option they will need a reason for not sending you back to live with your Mom."
A small grimace almost found its way onto Ryan's face before it was blank again. He suddenly guessed what was coming and he did NOT want to have this conversation. Or any conversation. Ever. He just wanted out.
"Is there any reason you can tell me Ryan, for not wanting to go back there?" Sandy waited.
And waited.
Of course this wasn't going to be easy, he thought. How on earth was he gonna get Ryan to tell him anything? He'd barely said two sentences since getting here.
Maybe if he tried doing most of the talking. "The first time I saw you… You weren't conscious." It pained Sandy to say it. "You were really hurt kid, you still are. You've still got the marks from those injuries, you're still recovering from them."
Ryan had never felt so self-conscious in his life. He wished he could just disappear.
"And we both know that didn't all come from a street fight." No response. "I heard your mother talking to you when you were in hospital, I heard you say you'd made up a story about a fight and everyone had believed it."
Ryan could no longer maintain eye contact. They'd both known he'd heard the conversation that day but it had never been mentioned and was easy to ignore, now Sandy was calling him out on it. Why? Why was he doing this now? This was it, he was turning. They always did.
"Ryan I'm not trying to get you in trouble, the opposite in fact, I'm trying to help. If those injuries came from home, that would make a very good reason why not to be sent back there, wouldn't it?"
Ryan hadn't expected this. Thought the guy would just take him to social services and be done with it, that would've been his good deed for the year. Why was he trying to make this more complicated? He was bailing tonight anyway, none of it mattered. He didn't want to talk about this. Didn't want to get caught in a trap this guy might be making for him. First rule - don't tell.
"Ryan if you can just give me something, one word acknowledgement or a nod, telling me that's what happened. Then we can let to department know tomorrow and you won't have to go back. It won't be perfect but you'll be in a little bit better position."
No no no no no. I don't know you. You don't know me. I can handle it, I'll find my own way, always have. Stay out of it! Ryan's brain was screaming. Gotta get out. Gotta get out… make him go.
"…Sandy… 'm really tired" He tried to say in the most final tone he could muster. He made no eye contact to avoid the imploring look on the man's face.
Sandy sat there almost a full minute hoping, praying Ryan would change his mind. In the end he knew it was hopeless. He reluctantly got up to leave the boy who'd completely shut down on him.
"Get some rest Ryan." He said as he gently closed the door behind him.
Yet again his heart broke knowing there was very little he could do for that shattered kid in there. He would make the best case he could to the department tomorrow on what he knew and use every bit of influence he could to get the best outcome. He'd have to pray that was enough.